18 Baked Pasta Recipes to Make When You Need Comfort Food ASAP

Baked pasta isn’t just about mac and cheese.

Greg DuPree

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When you think of baked pasta, mac and cheese probably comes to mind, but there are plenty of other baked pasta recipes that deserve a spot in your weekly meal rotation. Baked pasta can usually be made with a variety of pantry and freezer staples, such as jarred tomato sauce, noodles, and frozen vegetables, and is often suitable for the whole family. Plus, the dish often prepares in less than an hour and has a myriad of variations.

Some of our favorite baked pasta recipes include Spaghetti Sausage Fontina Pie and French Onion Casserole, but if none of those whet your appetite, feel free to scroll down to down for over a dozen additional options. We promise you’ll find something easy, comforting, and delicious!

Related: 45 Perfect Pasta Recipes You’ll Want to Make for Dinner Tonight (And Every Night)

Spaghetti tart with sausages and fontina

Victor Protasio

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Spaghetti pie? We’re listening ! This hearty dinner features a creamy vodka sauce, flavorful Italian sausage, kale, ricotta, and fragrant sage, while eggs and creamy fontina cheese tie it all together. As the savory tart cooks, the tomato sauce caramelizes to create the most delicious crispy edges. It’s a safe bet that the whole family will love this dish.

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Baked pasta with cheese

This cheesy baked pasta recipe combines orecchiette pasta with sausage, broccoli rabe and a creamy marinara sauce. That creaminess comes from the secret ingredient – ​​cream cheese – while grated Parmesan ups the cheese factor. Ready in just 40 minutes, this recipe is comfort food.

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Ricotta Rolls with Creamy Pumpkin Sauce

For a fall take on baked pasta, bookmark this recipe, which calls for a superstar combo of ricotta, pumpkin, and sage. The balance of creamy and crispy is simply delicious, as the edges of the fresh pasta rolls get a little crispy and the rest of this easy-to-bake pasta dish is tender and creamy. It’s ready in just over an hour and requires just a handful of dishes, meaning minimal cleanup for you.

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French Onion Casserole

What do you get when you combine macaroni and cheese and French onion soup? This baked pasta recipe is ready in an hour. Here you’ll find penne with candied caramelized onions and a blend of gruyere and cheddar in every bite. Have you already added this recipe to your favorites?

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Pasta with artichokes and chard and cheese

Greg DuPree

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Consider this baked pasta dish your new favorite. Inside, you’ll find flavorful provolone, silky chard, and tender artichoke hearts. If you’re a fan of spinach artichoke dip, we predict you’ll love this meal too.

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Shells stuffed with wild mushrooms and spinach

Who doesn’t love stuffed shells? This version of the hearty and comforting meal uses a combination of spinach and mushrooms in place of ground meat, resulting in a baked vegetarian pasta dish that everyone will love.

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Sausage and Cheese Pasta with Brussels Sprouts

This sausage and cheese pasta recipe is wonderfully balanced and provides comforting protein, vegetables and carbs. Inside, you’ll find tubes of rigatoni with sausage, charred Brussels sprouts, and a Worcestershire-enriched cheese sauce that’s tangy, creamy, and delicious. Are you still drooling?

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Pesto Skillet Lasagna

Fred Hardy,

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This pesto lasagna is largely made in a skillet, but you will grill it for a few minutes near the end of the cooking process so that the cheese melts completely and gets a little brown and crispy on top. Inside, you’ll find store-bought pesto (opt for the refrigerated ones), sautéed baby spinach, broken lasagna noodles, and lots of tangy, creamy cheese.

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Related: 8 Pasta Mistakes That Ruin Your Meal

Cheese Ravioli and Romaine Salad

What’s better than a plate of ravioli? A cheese ravioli pastry filled with pasta stuffed with store-bought four cheeses, a quick homemade tomato sauce and a shower of grated mozzarella cheese. Serve this gooey and comforting baked pasta dish with a side salad and you’re all set.

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Caprese Mac and Cheese

Fred Hardy

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This lighter version of mac and cheese is inspired by the classic Caprese salad. In this dish, as is the case with Italian salad, you will find mozzarella, tomato and basil. Since it’s macaroni and cheese, this baked pasta also includes orecchiette pasta, lots of butter and milk, and a sprinkle of Dijon mustard for just a little heat.

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Baked feta pasta

When it comes to baked pasta recipes, this TikTok favorite is one of the best. It’s made with a handful of ingredients, including cherry tomatoes, a large block of feta cheese, the pasta of your choice, and herbs and seasonings like olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and fresh basil. Ready in less than an hour, it’s a dish you’ll want to make again and again.

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Lasagna-style baked ziti

This baked pasta dish calls for ziti, but it’s more like a classic lasagna thanks to ground beef, tomato sauce, ricotta, and even more cheese. Fresh spinach adds protein, but if you’re not a fan of spinach, feel free to substitute kale or another green.

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Make-Ahead Mac and Cheese

Macaroni and cheese that you can make ahead of time is a godsend for holidays, surprise guests, and busy weeknights. This recipe can be made up to four days in advance, then baked whenever you’re ready to enjoy it. The combination of Cheddar, Muenster and Monterey Jack cheeses makes the end result buttery, tangy and tangy.

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Four cheese lasagna

A combination of four cheeses – ricotta, provolone, mozzarella and parmesan – makes a rich baked pasta dish that comes together in just 45 minutes. Ground beef adds plenty of protein, while jarred pasta sauce offers a useful shortcut.

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Baked spaghetti and meatballs

What do you get when you combine spaghetti and meatballs with a classic casserole? This cozy baked pasta dish. Here, everything goes raw in the oven and comes out after about an hour. You’ll find saucy noodles, homemade meatballs and pockets of creamy mozzarella cheese.

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Vegetable and cheese pasta

For a gooey, cheesy, yet packed with healthy veggies dinner, bookmark this recipe ASAP. Here, eggplant, zucchini and onions rich in vitamins and antioxidants mingle with noodles and lots of cheese. If you don’t mind a little heat, add some crushed red pepper flakes to the pasta mixture before baking everything.

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Related: 20+ Types of Pasta and Noodles Everyone Should Know About

Broccoli, Spinach and Three Cheese Lasagna

This lasagna is the perfect weeknight meal, in part because it calls for frozen broccoli and no-boil lasagna noodles, among other ingredients. These shortcuts mean it’s ready in just over an hour and will get you to seconds in record time.

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Tangy Macaroni and Cheese

If you’re looking to elevate the classic baked pasta dish of mac and cheese, this recipe is a good place to start. In addition to the basics, this version includes tortilla chips, green chiles, homemade taco seasoning, and a chopped scallion topping. Yum!

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